Richard Grieco
}} | birth_place = Watertown, New York, U.S. | other_names = | years_active = 1986-present | website = | spouse = | residence = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = Actor, former fashion model }} Richard John Grieco Jr. (born March 23, 1965) is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his role as Detective Dennis Booker from the popular Fox series 21 Jump Street (1988-89) and its spin-off ''Booker'' (1989-90). He also starred in various movies like ''If Looks Could Kill'' and Mobsters (both 1991). Since the height of his fame, he has voiced characters in several video games and appeared as either himself or his 21 Jump Street character in several films and television shows. For the last decade, he has painted in a style he calls abstract emotionalism. Early life Richard Grieco was born in Watertown, New York, the son of Carolyn (née O'Reilly) and Richard Grieco. He is of Italian and Irish descent."Richard Grieco; '21 Jumpstreet' adds a Handsome Rebel", "The Washington Post'', 7 May 1989 After moving to Franklin, Massachusetts, in his teenage years, Grieco played football, hockey and lacrosse in high school. Grieco was "All-State in all three sports." Grieco also played football for Central Connecticut State University."Richard Grieco" The New York Times Career Modeling, TV and film Grieco worked as a model for Armani, Calvin Klein and Chanel.MSN Entertainment "http://www.msn.com/en-za/entertainment/people/richard-grieco/AA4hD3G" He played Rick Gardner on One Life to Live from 1985 to 1987. In 1988, Grieco began appearing as Detective Dennis Booker on the shows 21 Jump Street and its spinoff Booker. Grieco's feature film debut was as Michael Corben in If Looks Could Kill (1991) and has appeared in numerous films since then. Later in 1991, he played the young Jewish bootlegger and mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel in the movie Mobsters. He also appeared in the TV series Marker in 1995. He played himself in the 1998 film A Night at the Roxbury. Music Grieco began a singing career in 1994 with the Dunmore Band. He signed to a German label and released a CD, Waiting for the Sky to Fall, in 1995. Later on he teamed up with music manager Cheryl Bogart and formed the band Wasteland Park in 2004. Art In 2009, several years after being encouraged by Dennis Hopper, Grieco publicly revealed that he has been painting since 1991. He calls his work "Abstract Emotionalism".http://www.griecoart.com/ In popular culture In the WB sitcom Off Centre, Grieco is idolized by Chau Presley, a character played by John Cho. In the show, Chau met Grieco at a Department of Motor Vehicles and traded him an Oingo Boingo shirt for the one he was wearing. Several references are made to Grieco and his movies (especially Point Doom). In A Night at the Roxbury, Grieco is idolized by the main characters. His lifestyle ("Clothes, Cars, Women") was what Doug and Steve Butabi were trying to achieve. In 2016, he appeared as himself in an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Filmography Film Television Video Games Web References External links * * Richard Grieco Fine Art website * Category:1965 births Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American male singers Category:Male models from New York (state) Category:American male soap opera actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male video game actors Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Central Connecticut Blue Devils football players Category:Living people Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Watertown, New York Category:20th-century American male actors Category:Male actors of Italian descent Category:20th-century American singers Category:21st-century American singers